From the neon chaos of Dotonbori to the serenity of Kyoto’s temples, Japan was everything I expected and then some.
We based ourselves in Osaka and made the most of Dotonbori - ramen for lunch (twice), shopping for clothes, and soaking up the atmosphere of what feels like the food capital of the world. A coffee at Granknot and a haircut at John Wayne Barber gave me a taste of the precision that Japan does so well. The highlight of Osaka was the ramen near Umeda Station that came highly recommended - it was easily the best bowl of ramen I’ve had in my life.
The day trip to Kyoto was epic and exhausting - about 12 hours starting at 6AM. We got in early to Kiyomizu-dera before the crowds, had coffee and a baguette at % Arabica, experienced authentic matcha tea and sweets, then trekked up the seemingly endless Fushimi Inari trail. The views along the way were incredible, even if there wasn’t much waiting at the summit. By the time we got back to Osaka, I could barely walk, but it was worth every step.